James Brown, the father of funk, the 1 and 3, the hardest working man in showbusiness, the mentor to Bootsy, the lover of America, the Black and Proud, died on Monday the 25th of December. This photo is of him performing in July 2006...at age 73. Indeed he was "the hardest working man in showbusiness" as he called himself and he sang it loud and proud until the end. James Brown played in my house (on albums, not live. Think of how cool I would have been if I had James Brown play at my 8th birthday party) when I was a youngster and gave me the appreciation for the "beat" that I love today. I followed him up with Bootsy Collins, George Clinton and Maceo Parker. They all influenced me in my tastes and performances.
So let's all walk a little funky, talk a little funky and do 50 splits in a 3 hour period in honor of the funkiest brother to ever walk the earth.
Here is a little interview on NPR that is pretty good. Give a listen.
Update: I just found out that Gentle Gerald Ford, America's sweetest President died today. Let's all watch some football and eat nachos in remembrance.
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